66 “PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 
In 1899 the Pacific Steam Whaling Co. built a cannery and com- 
menced canning on the eastern shore of Nushagak Bay at Fort Alex- 
ander, or Nushagak village. This cannery was purchased by the 
Pacific Packing & Navigation Co. in 1901 and upon the sale of its 
properties in 1904 became a part of the Northwestern Fisheries Co. 
It has been operated each year since the latter company acquired it. 
The same year the Alaska Fishermen’s Packing Co., of Astoria, 
built a cannery immediately below that of the Pacific Steam Whaling 
Co., and operated it every year to date, control of the company 
passing to Libby, McNeill & Libby in 1913, 
In 1901 the Columbia River Packers’ Association, the Alaska- 
Portland Packers Association, and the Alaska Salmon Co., all built 
canneries on the Nushagak and have operated them to date, except 
the last named in 1909, when its supply ship was wrecked. The 
Alaska Fishermen’s Packing Co. also built a saltery here. The 
latter plant was abandoned in 1904. | 
In 1903 the North Alaska Salmon Co. operated a new cannery on 
the Nushagak, a few miles below Clark Point. 
In 1910, on August 10, shortly after the packing season had ended, 
the plant of the Alaska-Portland Packers Association was completely 
destroyed by fire. The plant was rebuilt in time to operate the next 
season. 
KVICHAK RIVER AND BAY. 
The Kvichak River is about 80 miles in length, varies from 100 
yards to a mile in width, and discharges a vast quantity of water. 
The influence of the tide is felt 30 miles from the mouth. The cur- 
rent is very swift, running in places as much as 7 miles an hour. 
The upper half of the river is filled with low, grassy islands, the 
channels in many places being quite narrow. A launch drawing 3 
feet of water can reach Lake Iliamna with very little difficulty. In 
most sections there are over 2 fathoms of water in the channels. The 
river drains Iliamna Lake, the largest lake in Alaska, which is about 
90 miles long and about 30 miles wide, and Lake Clark. There are a 
number of Indian villages along the shores of the river and lakes. 
Practically all of the fishing here is carried on in Kvichak Bay, 
gill nets being the favorite form, with also a couple of traps set in 
the lower part of the river. As it is not convenient for the fishermen 
to bring the catch to the canneries, large house lighters and scows 
are moored in convenient places and the fishermen live aboard the 
former, while the fish are put aboard the latter and taken to the can- 
neries by the run boats. The numerous shoals in the bay seriously 
impede both fishing and navigation. 
